CHAPTER VI
FARMER DOBSON CHANGES HIS MIND
"You were right, Jason; he's here," growled one voice.
"And our hunt is at an end," came in another.
The two men advanced a few paces. Frank recognized the leader as thesame Farmer Dobson whom he had once seen scolding a group of littlegirls in a most bearish manner. He was a big man, with a face that wasalmost as red as the bandana handkerchief he wore fastened about hisneck.
Cal Dobson kept his glittering eyes fastened on the shrinking form ofJed, as he thus advanced closer to the fire.
"So you're here, youngster, be ye? Give us a great chase, you did, but Ireckon ye understand by now that when Cal Dobson says a thing he sticksby it. My best bull broke away and took to the hills at the same timeyou did. Things always happen in bunches. Git up and come along home,"he said in his terrible voice.
The boy looked at Frank with his heart in his eyes.
"Sit still, Jed," said that lad easily.
At this the farmer turned his eyes upon the speaker. Men had trembled atthat look, and he evidently thought to convince Frank that it would bethe greatest blunder of his life if he dared stand in the way of hiswill.
"What's that?" he exclaimed, frowning blackly.
"I told the boy to sit still," repeated Frank.
The man with the farmer gave a gasp, as though he found it difficult tobelieve his ears. That any one should dare disagree with Cal Dobsonsurprised him, and to hear a mere stripling do so made him rub his eyesin doubt.
"That boy is bound out to me for a term of years. He ran away from agood home. I hev been hunting a long time for him. Now that I've foundthe critter he is going back with me. The law is behind me in all that Ido. Look you out how you put up a hand to interfere, boy."
"That is true, and I think the law will soon catch up with you, Mr.Dobson. You speak of a good home; this boy says that you are a tyrant,and that you beat him unmercifully," went on Frank, undaunted.
"He lies, the little pup! the ungrateful kid!" snapped the farmer,taking a step toward the object of his anger.
"I don't believe it. He has shown us the proof. His back is marked bywelts, and they could only have come from the lash of a whip."
"Whatever he got he deserved ten times over. He was obstinate, and sassyto his legal guardian. The law allows a father to punish his child; itlets a man treat a bound boy just the same as if he was his own boy. Iwant to make a man out of Jed. I believe in the old injunction, 'Sparethe rod and spoil the child.' Now, enough of this. Air you comin' alongwith me, Jed?"
He took another step toward the boy. Again the latter shrank closer toFrank.
"Stop just where you are, Mr. Dobson! This is my camp. You were notinvited here. We have a right to defend our property, and we intend todo it, I give you my word. Take another step forward, and you do it atyour peril, sir!"
Dobson looked at the determined mien of the speaker. Then his uneasyeyes roved around, and he saw two other guns half raised in athreatening manner.
"By gum! I believe the young terrors would shoot, sir! Let's go and huntfor the runaway bull!" exclaimed his companion.
"But that is my property they are harboring here, confound it!" criedthe farmer.
"Then go about reclaiming it in a legal way. Bring the sheriff, Mr.Dodd, here, and we'll allow you to take the boy away, if he is in ourcamp. But, Mr. Dodson, understand that he shall see the cruel welts onthe back of Jed, and hear his story from his own lips. Take him now youshall not. On that my chums and myself are fully agreed. Isn't it so,boys?" went on Frank.
"That's what I say," declared Bluff positively.
"I back Frank up in all he says," came from Jerry.
Click!
"There! I've got the dandiest picture ever!" cried Will.
The farmer and his foreman had started, and uttered exclamations ofalarm, as a sudden dazzling white light flashed over the scene. It wasthe ardent photographer, taking his flashlight of the scene for futurereference.
Somehow, Mr. Dobson seemed cowed to an extent his man had never knownbefore. Perhaps it was the sight of the several guns, backed by thelooks of the four young campers; or else he had been alarmed by Frank'sallusion to the welts upon the bound boy's back.
"This is an outrage that you will suffer for. The law will back me up inclaiming my own. I'm not fool enough to try to take the boy under yourguns; but wait, and see if you can balk Cal Dobson," he went on,morosely.
"If you're going to the law about it, let me recommend my dad, JohnMasters," said Bluff smoothly.
At which the farmer started, and looked more uneasy than ever. He hadnot forgotten the little warfare that existed between himself and JohnMasters. Doubtless the lawyer would be only too glad of an opportunityto even up the score. More than ever must he try to get Jed back to thefarm before those telltale welts on his back were seen of men.
"I'm not going to stay here to be insulted any longer. Remember, I giveye plain warning that for this high-handed outrage every one of ye willpay dear. As for you, Jed----"
He did not finish the sentence, but the ferocious look which he bentupon the bound boy was enough to freeze the blood in his veins.
Then Mr. Dobson and his man wheeled and strode away. The farmer did notlook back, even when the obliging Will called out:
"Oh, Mr. Dobson! Please don't forget that you appear in that picture,and if you would like to possess one you can have it at the cost ofproduction."
When the unwelcome intruders had really passed out of sight Jed creptover to Frank and caught his hand.
"Oh, thank you! Thank you for being so kind. He hates me more than ever,and if he ever gets me back to his farm he will nearly kill me, Ibelieve," he said in thrilling tones of gratitude.
"Then depend on it he never will, if we can prevent it. I don't quiteunderstand this thing. It seems so unnatural for even a strong-temperedman like Mr. Dobson to hate a poor little chap like you so much. He actsas if he had a personal spite against you, Jed. Do you know of anyreason why this should be so?"
Frank asked this because he shrewdly fancied that there must besomething back of the whole thing besides mere cruelty on the farmer'spart.
"Yes, I believe I do," admitted the other, slowly.
"Would you mind telling us, Jed?" continued Frank.
"No, because you are my good friends, all of you. I would trust you withanything in the world."
As the lad spoke his hand sought the bosom of his ragged shirt. When hedrew it out they could see that he was holding something which hehandled with the utmost reverence.
Naturally, all of the boys crowded around, anxious to see what it was hehad wrapped up in that small piece of cloth in the shape of a tiny bag,and which had been fastened with a small safety-pin inside his cottonshirt.
So Jed opened it, and took out a small locket.
"I have thought from the start that he wanted to get hold of this,though why he should I could never guess. Many times he searched myclothes. Why, the first night I was in his house he crept into my atticroom after he thought I was asleep, and went through all my pockets; butI had it under my pillow. That made me afraid, and I hid it away."
"Please go on. We are all mightily interested," said Frank.
"Twice he whipped me because he said I was withholding something thatbelonged to him, and once he even demanded what I had done with thislocket; but if he killed me I would not have told him, because you seeit contains the picture of my own dear dead mother!"
He opened the locket, and they saw the face of a sweet woman, who hadevidently known what it was to suffer before she went to another world.
"Where did you get this?" asked Frank, after he had passed it around sothat all his chums could see.
"She put it in my hands as she was dying. She said it might be of valueto me some day, and never to let it pass out of my possession. It _is_of great value to me, but only because it holds her precious face,"replied the boy, sighing, as the tears ran down his cheeks.
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Frank examined the locket again, and shook his head.
"She did not tell you how it would be valuable?" he asked.
The lad managed to restrain his feelings so that he could reply.
"I have often thought she intended to do so, but had been overcomebefore she could speak more, and I never knew."
"But evidently, in some way, it has to do with your future, and CalDobson knows, or suspects, the secret, too. How did you happen to bebound out to him in the first place, Jed?" Frank went on, anxious toknow more of this strange thing.
"Why, you see, he is my mother's first cousin, and he applied to have mebound out to him, as the next of kin. No one else wanted me, and sothey handed me over to him to bring to Centerville," replied the boyreadily.
"That's a point worth remembering. So he's a relative, eh? I guessnobody around here knew that before. Evidently Mr. Dobson has somescheme in view, and the possession of this same locket is concerned init. He could get plenty of boys, but there is something else beyondthat."
"Hey, Frank, talk about your lawyers, you ought to be one," declaredJerry.
"But you see I want to help Jed, if I can. He is in trouble, and we muststand by him, fellows."
"And we will. Do you think the old humbug has really gone home?" askedWill.
"Perhaps he may get out a warrant to take Jed away, and bring someofficer up here to serve it," suggested Jerry.
Frank did not appear alarmed, as he continued:
"Somehow, I don't seem to believe it. Dobson looked worried when I spokeabout his cruel treatment of the bound boy. He knows the law would neverstand back of such a thing. Then he fears your father, Bluff. Perhaps hehas more reason now, than ever, for getting his hands on the boy."
Jed was wringing his hands and looking exceedingly unhappy.
"He'll get me, sooner or later, I know it. One way or another, he nevergives up a thing he has set his heart on; and he wants this locket verymuch. Oh! won't you take it, and keep it for me, please?" he asked.
"Why, certainly I will, only not just now. How do we know but what he iswatching us, even at this very minute. Pretend to put it away again,Jed, and manage to slip it to me unseen. I promise you that it willnever leave my person, and when you want it again, all you have to do isto ask."
"Thank you. If you only knew how much better you have made me feel.Perhaps in some way I can be taken from him and placed in another home.Oh! I am willing to work just as hard as I can if only it _was_ a home!"
So presently Frank secreted the gold locket in an inner pocket, where itcould not be lost. He knew that there was a deep mystery connectedsomehow with the little trinket, and while he could not fathom it justthen, in good time, no doubt, the secret must appear.
Every time he felt it there his thoughts were bound to go out towardpoor Jed, and the important message which his dying mother had meant togive him at the time she pressed the locket into his hands.